A Very Merry Billionaire Christmas (Special Edition Holiday Novella) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Melanie Marchande
the rumor too." Maddy sidles closer to him. "Are you thinking about buying it?"
"God no." He chuckles. "It's hideous, isn't it? I teased my wife about it, I think I might've fooled her, but the downside is she might be concerned about my mental health."
He cringes slightly, realizing what he's said. But Maddy doesn't seem to notice.
"It's pretty gross," she agrees, eyes scanning the room. "I mean, I've seen worse. But it's...yeah, it's pretty gross."
A beat of silence passes.
"So, you're a Dirk and Amanda fan, then?" Adrian says, somewhat hesitantly. He's taken with the odd feeling that Daniel can somehow hear everything he says, from several light-years away on the other side of the room.
Maddy smiles, a little shyly. "Yeah. I guess I'm a sucker for those boss and secretary stories."
"Well, it makes sense." He glances at her, but she shakes her head a little.
"I was never his secretary. The blogs always get that wrong. I was a graphic designer. Barely talked to him before he..." She hesitates. "...before he first asked me out."
"Wow, just like that?" Adrian looks over at Daniel again, with something like awe. "He just...decided he liked you, and asked you out?"
"Yeah, you know. Like you do."
Adrian's trying to reconcile this revelation with everything the papers have been saying about Mr. Thorne lately, and it's not making a whole lot of sense. Granted, he had his own reasons for delaying things with Meg indefinitely, but he's starting to feel distinctly cowardly by comparison.
Of course, he doesn't know the truth.
"Graphic design," Adrian echoes, bringing the conversation back to safer waters. "So, how do you like my cover art?"
Maddy bites her lip slightly. "Who does it?"
"Uh oh." Adrian laughs a little. "Well, the first one, I had done by a guy at the office. But I've just tweaked that basic concept myself for all the subsequent ones."
"I mean, I like them," Maddy says. "Don't get me wrong. I just...well, especially that last one - I think you could do better."
"I'm listening," says Adrian, getting a refill on his punch.
***
"...so ideally, you want your author name visible from space," Maddy's saying, as Adrian watches her with rapt attention.
"Conrad, this is my wife. Maddy." Daniel has appeared out of nowhere, and he's got the old man hovering behind him.
"Oh, it's lovely to meet you." Maddy has the "billionaire's wife" act down. She knows exactly how to sound pleasant to overprivileged strangers, how to carry herself, and how to blend in with these people. It's a skill Meg will probably never learn, which is just fine by Adrian. He loves her for it. But it's interesting to see how a girl-next-door - and a bit of an awkward one, at that - can play at being a socialite.
Because awkward she is, adorably so, but awkward. It's not hard to see why a man like Daniel would be drawn to her. She's not going to drag him out partying every night, like most trophy wives would do. She's pretty like the girl next door, down-to-earth, and soft. Yes - soft . Her hair, her eyes, her smile, even her figure - although she's not quite Adrian's type, she's no stick figure either. He's seen blurry snapshots in bad tabloids before, but he didn't really get a sense of her before now. She's not what he expected.
Conrad steps forward and claps Adrian on the shoulder. "Adrian Risinger. So glad you could come. Didn't expect it, to be honest. My Stephanie, she loves your books."
"Thank you," says Adrian, wondering who the hell Stephanie is.
"I don't go in for that sort of thing, myself," Conrad guffaws. "Romance novels - pfft. But I've glanced at them once or twice. You've got some real talent. You ought to write real books, you know that?"
There's a moment where no one knows quite what to say.
"I...real books?" Adrian echoes, a laugh lurking in the back of his tone even as he squares his shoulders, clenches his fists slightly. "Sorry?"
"You know!" Conrad has the overall bearing of a man who's not used to being
"God no." He chuckles. "It's hideous, isn't it? I teased my wife about it, I think I might've fooled her, but the downside is she might be concerned about my mental health."
He cringes slightly, realizing what he's said. But Maddy doesn't seem to notice.
"It's pretty gross," she agrees, eyes scanning the room. "I mean, I've seen worse. But it's...yeah, it's pretty gross."
A beat of silence passes.
"So, you're a Dirk and Amanda fan, then?" Adrian says, somewhat hesitantly. He's taken with the odd feeling that Daniel can somehow hear everything he says, from several light-years away on the other side of the room.
Maddy smiles, a little shyly. "Yeah. I guess I'm a sucker for those boss and secretary stories."
"Well, it makes sense." He glances at her, but she shakes her head a little.
"I was never his secretary. The blogs always get that wrong. I was a graphic designer. Barely talked to him before he..." She hesitates. "...before he first asked me out."
"Wow, just like that?" Adrian looks over at Daniel again, with something like awe. "He just...decided he liked you, and asked you out?"
"Yeah, you know. Like you do."
Adrian's trying to reconcile this revelation with everything the papers have been saying about Mr. Thorne lately, and it's not making a whole lot of sense. Granted, he had his own reasons for delaying things with Meg indefinitely, but he's starting to feel distinctly cowardly by comparison.
Of course, he doesn't know the truth.
"Graphic design," Adrian echoes, bringing the conversation back to safer waters. "So, how do you like my cover art?"
Maddy bites her lip slightly. "Who does it?"
"Uh oh." Adrian laughs a little. "Well, the first one, I had done by a guy at the office. But I've just tweaked that basic concept myself for all the subsequent ones."
"I mean, I like them," Maddy says. "Don't get me wrong. I just...well, especially that last one - I think you could do better."
"I'm listening," says Adrian, getting a refill on his punch.
***
"...so ideally, you want your author name visible from space," Maddy's saying, as Adrian watches her with rapt attention.
"Conrad, this is my wife. Maddy." Daniel has appeared out of nowhere, and he's got the old man hovering behind him.
"Oh, it's lovely to meet you." Maddy has the "billionaire's wife" act down. She knows exactly how to sound pleasant to overprivileged strangers, how to carry herself, and how to blend in with these people. It's a skill Meg will probably never learn, which is just fine by Adrian. He loves her for it. But it's interesting to see how a girl-next-door - and a bit of an awkward one, at that - can play at being a socialite.
Because awkward she is, adorably so, but awkward. It's not hard to see why a man like Daniel would be drawn to her. She's not going to drag him out partying every night, like most trophy wives would do. She's pretty like the girl next door, down-to-earth, and soft. Yes - soft . Her hair, her eyes, her smile, even her figure - although she's not quite Adrian's type, she's no stick figure either. He's seen blurry snapshots in bad tabloids before, but he didn't really get a sense of her before now. She's not what he expected.
Conrad steps forward and claps Adrian on the shoulder. "Adrian Risinger. So glad you could come. Didn't expect it, to be honest. My Stephanie, she loves your books."
"Thank you," says Adrian, wondering who the hell Stephanie is.
"I don't go in for that sort of thing, myself," Conrad guffaws. "Romance novels - pfft. But I've glanced at them once or twice. You've got some real talent. You ought to write real books, you know that?"
There's a moment where no one knows quite what to say.
"I...real books?" Adrian echoes, a laugh lurking in the back of his tone even as he squares his shoulders, clenches his fists slightly. "Sorry?"
"You know!" Conrad has the overall bearing of a man who's not used to being
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